To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2021. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region.
Following the conclusion of the 2020-21 UNC basketball season, legendary head coach Roy Williams announced his retirement after 18 years with Carolina, and 48 years of coaching overall. Williams’ announcement sent the men’s basketball program into its first head coaching search since 2003. It didn’t last long, as former assistant Hubert Davis was announced as Williams’ successor just four days later.
On April 1, 2021, UNC men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams sent a shockwave throughout the college basketball world: the Hall of Fame head coach, with 903 wins, nine Final Fours and three national championships to his name, was retiring.
After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.
Thank you for all you have done and meant to everyone who plays and loves our game.
Release 🔗: https://t.co/l6y5tRjB2I pic.twitter.com/FzTUmbx3v1
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 1, 2021
The announcement, first thought by many to be a supremely effective April Fool’s prank, was made official in an emotional press conference at the Dean Smith Center later that day.
“Everyone wants to know the reason, and the reason is very simple,” Williams said. “Every time somebody would ask me how long I was going to go, I would always say the same thing: as long as my health allows me to do it. But deep down inside, I knew that the only thing that would speed that up is if I did not feel any longer that I was the right man for the job… I no longer feel that I am the right man for the job.”
Williams’ retirement came on the heels of two forgettable seasons for the basketball program. The 2019-20 campaign saw the Tar Heels struggle mightily, finishing in last place in the ACC with a 14-19 overall record. The next year was slightly more successful, as Carolina fought through the pandemic to an 18-11 overall record and 10-6 mark in conference play. UNC reached the semifinals of the ACC tournament, but then fell to Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time a Roy Williams-coached team had lost in the tournament’s first round.
“I tried to give my team, every single day, everything I had,” Williams said. “I didn’t do a good job with this team. I wasn’t going to wait for strike three is the bottom line.”
Several members of the college sports community voiced their support for Williams. ESPN analyst and Duke basketball alumnus Jay Bilas called Williams “a credit to the profession, and one of the truly great coaches of all-time, in any sport.”
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement, “We extend a heartfelt congratulations to Roy Williams on a remarkable career. His resume of accomplishments speaks for itself. More importantly, the countless lives he positively affected surpasses all of the individual honors and awards.”
Williams’ current and former players also sent messages of support.
One hell of a career and even better person! Thank you for everything coach truly a honor playing for you!❤️ https://t.co/IEMritlFwG
— Theo pinson (@tpinsonn) April 1, 2021
Gonna miss you my guy pic.twitter.com/ht0RYoD7nN
— Armando Bacot Jr. (@iget_buckets35) April 1, 2021
“Roy Williams is and always will be a Carolina basketball legend,” said Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who played on the 1982 national championship-winning UNC team on which Williams was an assistant. “His great success on the court is truly matched by the impact he had on the lives of the players he coached – including me. I’m proud of the way he carried on the tradition of Coach Smith’s program, always putting the players first. I wish Roy all the best in retirement and look forward to catching up with him on the golf course soon.”
Even the rivals up the road, Duke men’s basketball, gave Williams credit — not yet aware that head coach Mike Krzyzewski would later announce his own plans to retire at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Salute to UNC Head Coach Roy Williams on a legendary 48-year career. All respect. Thank you for all you have done for the game, our league and the greatest rivalry in sports. 🤝
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 1, 2021
In the wake of Williams’ announcement, UNC immediately set about searching for his successor. Several names churned out of the rumor mill: UNC Greensboro head coach Wes Miller, Monmouth head coach King Rice and Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse, all Carolina basketball alumni, each saw their names attached to the UNC job in speculation.
Those rumors were put to rest just four days later when UNC announced that longtime Williams assistant Hubert Davis, who also played under head coach Dean Smith from 1988 to 1992, would be the program’s next head coach. The job would be Davis’ first full-time head coaching position, and would make him the program’s first-ever Black head coach.
Hubert Davis: "I'm 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 of being your new men's basketball coach for the University of North Carolina."#CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/Lev1CwyTQD
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 5, 2021
Davis was officially introduced to the public the next day, on the same floor where Williams announced his retirement. Williams, of course, attended in support.
“The foundation is set here at Carolina, and it’s a foundation that I believe in,” Davis said. “It’s a foundation that has been tested and tried and proven successful through Coach Smith, Coach [Bill] Guthridge and Coach Williams. I’ve got no desire, I’ve got no plans of going away from that foundation, because I believe in it.”
When asked about following in the footsteps of Williams, Davis’ response was simple: “I don’t feel pressure because I’m not comparing myself to anybody,” he said. “Coach Williams is the greatest. I’m Hubert.”
Congratulatory messages poured in from Davis’ former players and colleagues. Bilas, who worked with Davis at ESPN before Davis became an assistant coach, said Davis “bleeds Carolina blue. Hubert is the real deal.”
HD❤️❤️ https://t.co/8a7Lm2DMmf
— Nassir Little (@2ez_nassie) April 5, 2021
So happy for my guy!! Deserved!!! https://t.co/eRZjlgBnSI
— Kenny Williams III (@KWill_24) April 5, 2021
Davis quickly set about assembling a coaching staff, with a top priority being hiring former UNC players.
“You can’t do this job unless you’re a Carolina guy,” Davis said. “It’s impossible. You can’t coach here, you can’t recruit here, you can’t work here unless you have been here, you’ve experienced it, you have lived it.”
Davis announced his full staff later that month: former Williams assistants Brad Frederick and Sean May would stay with the program, with Jeff Lebo and Pat Sullivan joining the team. Jackie Manuel, who previously worked with the women’s basketball program, would be Davis’ Director of Team and Player Development. Additionally, Brandon Robinson would be joining the team as a graduate assistant. All of these names played under Smith or Williams, with May, Sullivan, Manuel and Robinson winning national championships at Carolina.
“I want to have guys on staff that played for Coach Smith,” Davis said at his introductory press conference. “I want to have guys on staff that played for Coach Guthridge, and I want to have guys on staff that played with Coach Williams. I want to be able to connect all those because I think bringing all those coaches together is what makes Carolina, Carolina.”
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